1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical connectors, and particularly to a connector suitable for use with a cable containing a bend insensitive fiber (BIF).
2. Discussion of the Known Art
The attenuation of light signals transmitted through an optical fiber increases significantly if the fiber is forced to bend through less than a specified minimum bend radius. Therefore, the degree to which a cable containing an optical fiber bends, particularly in the vicinity of a terminating connector, must be limited to ensure that the bend radius of the fiber in the cable remains at or above the specified minimum. This is usually achieved by providing a lengthy cable support or boot that is fixed at a back end of the connector, large metallic inserts, and/or a length of plastics tubing for supporting the connector ferrule, all of which are, in addition to other parts, needed in order for the connector to couple the fiber optically with another fiber in a mating connector or socket.
The use of angled cable supports, adapters, cable support clips, and/or shortened cable boots offers less than an optimal solution, however. Such parts typically cause the overall length of the connector to lie between 32 mm and 60 mm, thereby consuming valuable equipment space when, e.g., a number of such connectors are deployed to connect with other connectors on both sides of a cable patch panel. Moreover, the connectors often interfere with the closure of doors on the equipment cabinets, causing the associated cables to bend excessively and degrading equipment performance.
As optical connector density increases, much of the space required for the connectors on or inside of equipment should be reduced as much as possible to leave room for other essential optical or electronic equipment components. Shortened optical connectors such as, e.g., the LC BTW FLEX Mini BOOT available from SENKO Advanced Components, Inc., are constructed only for use with cables whose outside diameters are 900 μm or less, and are meant for less stringent applications that involve minimal handling of the connector once the connector is set into a mating connector or socket.
U.S. Pat. Appl'n Pub. No. 2010/0284656 (Nov. 11, 2010) discloses a short profile optical connector that enables optical cables to be terminated, for example, inside of equipment cabinets where minimal space is available for cable routing. The connector includes a rigid curved cable bend limiter at the back of the connector, for guiding a cable containing a bend insensitive fiber through a bend of, e.g., 90 degrees.
With the introduction of highly bend-insensitive optical fibers, connectors for cables containing such fibers need not be as physically robust as prior connectors insofar as having to include integrated cable supports to restrain the cables from bending sharply near the connector. Yet, it is common for manufacturers of BIF patch cords or cables whose outside diameters are as large as, e.g., 1.6 mm to 3.0 mm, to terminate the cords in currently available and relatively long cable connectors.
Accordingly, there is a need for a shorter and yet sturdy optical connector for terminating cables that contain a bend insensitive fiber. Further, there is a need for an optical connector for cables whose outside diameters are greater than 900 μm and which contain a bend insensitive fiber. There is also a need for a short optical connector that limits the degree to which a cable with a bend insensitive fiber can bend in the vicinity of the connector, regardless of the direction at which the cable approaches the connector.